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Overtime Pay Calculator

Overtime is not simply "more hours at the same rate". Federal law requires a premium of at least half the regular rate for every hour worked beyond 40 in a week, so those hours are paid at 1.5 times the regular rate — and the regular rate is not always the number on the contract.

$

Hours paid at the normal rate, usually up to 40 a week.

1.5 is the federal minimum; a contract or state law may require more.

Used by states such as California after 12 hours in a day.

$

A nondiscretionary bonus raises the regular rate used for the premium.

Results update as you type. Nothing leaves your device.

Gross pay for the week

$1,300.00

48 hours: 40 at $25.00 plus 8 at the premium rate.

Regular rate used
$25.00
Overtime premium
$100.00
Blended hourly rate
$27.08
Annual pay at this pattern
$67,600.00

Where the week's pay comes from

  • Straight time$1,200.00
  • Overtime premium$100.00

The premium is the extra half (or more) paid only because those hours were overtime, on top of the straight-time pay for the same hours.

The week in detail

ItemHoursRateAmount
Straight time48$25.00$1,200.00
Overtime at 1.5x8$37.50$300.00
Weekly gross$1,300.00

Straight-time earnings cover every hour worked at the regular rate, bonus included; the premium lines are what the overtime hours earn above that.

Over a year of weeks like this

MeasureAmount
Weekly gross$1,300.00
Annual gross$67,600.00
Overtime hours a year416
Extra from the premium this week$100.00
Extra from premiums this year$5,200.00

The extra is the difference between this week and the same hours paid entirely at the straight-time rate.

Federal law requires 50% above the regular rate for hours worked past 40 in a week, and there is no federal daily limit. States may go further — California and a few others require double time after 12 hours in a day. Salaried employees who meet the exemption tests are not entitled to overtime at all.

This calculator builds the week from the ground up: straight time, the overtime premium, any double-time hours, and the effect of a bonus on the rate the premium is calculated from.

How this overtime calculator works

The 40-hour weekly rule

The federal standard is a workweek of 40 hours. Everything above that is overtime, paid at one and a half times the regular rate. A 50-hour week is 40 hours of straight time plus 10 hours at 1.5x, which is the same as 45 hours at the normal rate.

The 40 hours is a weekly measure, not a daily one. Working 12 hours on Monday and 28 over the rest of the week is not federal overtime, even though the days are long. California and a handful of other states do impose daily overtime, which the multiplier and double-time fields let you model.

The regular rate is not always the hourly wage

The premium is calculated on the regular rate, which includes nondiscretionary payments: production bonuses, shift differentials, and commissions that are tied to hours worked. A $90 weekly bonus spread across 45 hours raises the regular rate from $20 to $22, and the overtime premium rises with it.

Discretionary bonuses, expense reimbursements and most gifts are excluded. This is why a bonus week and a normal week can produce different overtime even when the hours are identical.

Who is not entitled to overtime

Salaried employees who meet the duties and salary tests for the executive, administrative or professional exemptions are not entitled to overtime pay, no matter how many hours they work. Misclassifying a role to avoid overtime is one of the most common wage violations.

Also outside the federal rule: independent contractors, some agricultural workers, and certain transportation employees covered by other statutes.

Worked examples

Each example below was run through the calculator on this page when the site was built, so the numbers match what you see when you enter the same inputs.

48-hour week at $25 an hour

Regular hourly rate
$25.00
Straight-time hours
40 hours
Overtime hours
8 hours
Overtime multiplier
1.5 x
Double-time hours
0 hours
Bonus earned this week
$0.00
Weeks like this per year
52 weeks

Gross pay for the week

$1,300.00

48 hours: 40 at $25.00 plus 8 at the premium rate.

Regular rate used
$25.00
Overtime premium
$100.00
Blended hourly rate
$27.08
Annual pay at this pattern
$67,600.00

Eight overtime hours add $100 of premium: the same hours at straight time would be $1,200, not $1,300.

The same week with a $90 bonus

Regular hourly rate
$25.00
Straight-time hours
40 hours
Overtime hours
8 hours
Overtime multiplier
1.5 x
Double-time hours
0 hours
Bonus earned this week
$90.00
Weeks like this per year
52 weeks

Gross pay for the week

$1,397.50

48 hours: 40 at $26.88 plus 8 at the premium rate.

Regular rate used
$26.88
Overtime premium
$107.50
Blended hourly rate
$29.11
Annual pay at this pattern
$72,670.00

The bonus lifts the regular rate, so the overtime premium is calculated on a higher base.

56-hour week with double time

Regular hourly rate
$22.00
Straight-time hours
40 hours
Overtime hours
12 hours
Overtime multiplier
1.5 x
Double-time hours
4 hours
Weeks like this per year
48 weeks

Gross pay for the week

$1,452.00

56 hours: 40 at $22.00 plus 16 at the premium rate.

Regular rate used
$22.00
Overtime premium
$132.00
Blended hourly rate
$25.93
Annual pay at this pattern
$69,696.00

The double-time hours model a state daily rule such as California’s after 12 hours in a day.

Season of long weeks

Regular hourly rate
$30.00
Straight-time hours
40 hours
Overtime hours
15 hours
Overtime multiplier
1.5 x
Double-time hours
0 hours
Bonus earned this week
$0.00
Weeks like this per year
16 weeks

Gross pay for the week

$1,875.00

55 hours: 40 at $30.00 plus 15 at the premium rate.

Regular rate used
$30.00
Overtime premium
$225.00
Blended hourly rate
$34.09
Annual pay at this pattern
$30,000.00

Fifteen extra hours a week for a season is worth a five-figure premium over the year.

Frequently asked questions

How is time and a half calculated?

Multiply the regular rate by 1.5 and pay it for every hour above 40 in the workweek. Equivalently, pay all hours at the regular rate and add a half-rate premium for the overtime hours — the two methods give the same total.

Is overtime after 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week?

Federally, 40 hours a week. Alaska, California, Nevada and a few other states also require daily overtime after 8 or 12 hours, and California requires double time after 12. Whichever rule gives more pay applies.

Does a bonus change my overtime rate?

A nondiscretionary bonus does. It is allocated across the hours worked in the period it was earned, which raises the regular rate and therefore the premium. Discretionary bonuses, gifts and expense reimbursements do not.

Are salaried employees paid overtime?

Only if they are non-exempt. Salaried employees who meet the duties test and earn at or above the salary threshold for the executive, administrative or professional exemption are exempt, and their pay does not change with hours.

Is overtime taxed at a higher rate?

No. Overtime is ordinary income and taxed at your marginal rate. Because the paycheck is larger, more tax is withheld in that period, but the annual liability is unchanged and any excess comes back at filing.

Can my employer require overtime?

In most US states, yes — an employer can require reasonable overtime and discipline an employee who refuses it. The requirement is that the hours are paid correctly, not that they are voluntary.

Does overtime count towards my Social Security record?

Yes. All taxable wages, overtime included, count towards the earnings record used to calculate Social Security benefits, and they are subject to the same 6.2% tax up to the annual wage base.

Assumptions and sources

  • The federal overtime premium of at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek follows the Fair Labor Standards Act; state rules can require more.
  • The regular rate includes nondiscretionary bonuses, shift differentials and commissions tied to hours worked, as set out in the US Department of Labor overtime rules.
  • Pay is shown as gross: income tax and FICA are not deducted here.

Last reviewed 2026-09-14. This page is an estimate tool, not financial, tax or legal advice.Read the full disclaimer.

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